On my last night in an Albergue there was an Irish fellow with a guitar, a young man with a harmonica and a Spanish woman with a beautiful voice. They were singing all of the old folk songs that I remember from many summer nights on the beach. Everything from the Kingston Trio Sloop John B to Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice and Blowin in the Wind. It brought tears to my eyes once again. Tears of gratitude for the life I have had.
Yesterday I passed a marker asking us pilgrims to remember this woman from Holland who died peacefully in her sleep at age 63 just after completing her second Camino. I decided right then and there, if I hadn't already decided it, that I won't do this a second time. lol
This last Albergue was the noisiest one I've been in the whole Camino. I think maybe it's the excitement in the air. You can feel it. Usually by nine half the people are asleep, lights are out and those that are still up move around quietly. Not last night. Everyone was up, lights on talking loudly, dog barking outside, just total nervous energy. Everyone eventually settled down, but I still didn't sleep well it was probably the anticipation of the final day. When my alarm went off at six a shut it off real quick so as not to wake any one. When I got up and looked around I realized everyone was already gone, except the two girls across from me who were already up.
The I walked in the dark again this morning. It was quiet and soothing. Nothing spectacular happened, it was more a feeling of anticipation. People were limping just trying to make those last few miles. There was a quiet camaraderie about the day. Everyone thinking positive thoughts for the others. Getting to Santiago was exciting, then tedious, then frustrating. It was exciting when I realized we were at the city limits, tedious like any big city because it takes a lot of walking to get from the city limits to the center of the city, and frustrating because it is a tourist town and it is packed with people. I was trying to find a place to stay and I kept getting lost. But I eventually ran into one of the young guys in front of the pilgrims office where you get your Compestela and he said he'd looked at the Pension across the street and that it was reasonable. Problem solved, I checked it out and got a single room for 45€. Not bad in a tourist town.
I got my Compestela and went and looked around the Cathedral, but I think I know that's not what this is about for me. This was an incredible experience, but it was not a singular spiritual experience. For me that is an ongoing process. There were lots of lessons, the biggest one was surrender and that started before I Ieft home. I had lessons all the time about being positive not negative, being grateful, not complaining. Tourist are demanding, pilgrims are grateful, is a saying I heard.
I didn't really know why I was doing this when I started. In some sense I felt it was a thank you to God for the amazing life I have been given. But I don't think he asked for that thanks. I think all he asks of me is that I be of service, pass it on. So I completed my mission I was given in France and brought Daniel with me in prayer. I hope he finds sobriety.
I'm sure more will come to me in the next weeks or months, maybe even later this evening.
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